Cap-centering device for bottle-capping machines



July 13 1926.

J. SHARP CAP CENTERING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINES Filed April 8, 1921 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

Peseta July 13, 1925.

' UNITED STATES v 1,592,008 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SHARP, OF OAKlMONT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 ALUMINUM SEAL COM- PANY, OF NEW KENSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VAN IA.

Application filed April 8,

My invention relates to a cap centering device for bottle cappin' machines such as illustrated and describe in my Patent No. 1,440,246, issued on Dec. 26, 1922.

'5 The objectof the resent invention is to provide a centering evice for -the cap, situated in such close relation to the cap seating plunger that the proper centering of the cap will always be assured before the cap 10 comes into contact with the cap-seating plunger. Heretofore in machines of this character the centering device has been carried by a stationary frame 'at; a point considerably belowthe cap seating plunger and the cap' 1 might, under such conditions, become oficenter before reaching the cap-seating plunger, and liability to such disarrangement of the cap is practically precluded by my invention. I,

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of the aligned receptacle-supporting pedestals and the capapplying mechanism, showing the cap being secured to the bottle neck and just prior to 25 the completion of the capping operation;

Fig. 2 is a like view illustrating the relativeposition of the bottle support and the capapplying mechanism prior to the capping operation; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged Ian to view of the centering device looking rom below.

p In the drawing the numeral 5 indicates a fragment of the lower table or frame in which the vertical shaft 6 is mounted,

as splined slidably in bearings. The shaft 6 is provided at its lower end with a roller 7 which rides on a cam track 8 on the base of the machine, said cam being for the purpose of elevating the bottles'or other recep- 60 tacles to engage with the cap and maintain the receptacles in elevated position while the cap is being secured. The shaft 6 carries at its upper end a seat member 9. upon which the rece tacle or botas tle 10 is supported. This mem er is s lined to the shaft 6 to prevent its rotation, ut is free to move vertically, being resiliently supported on the shaft by a spring 11 which is interposed between said member and a col- 59 lar 12, said collar being adjustable on the shaft so that the tension of the spring may be varied if desired. A centering block 13 having arms forming a V-shaped guide which engages with and centers the recep- CAP-CENTERING DEVICE POE IBOTTLE-GAPPING MACHINES.

1921. Serial a... 459,664.

tacle axially of the shaft and with the capping mechanism. A resilient pad 14- may be provided in the seat member 9.

The plunger mechanism comprises a vertically movable non-rotary shaft 15' having its bearing in the sleeve 16 and carrying at its upper end the roller 17 which is adapted to roll on a cam track 18 on the fixed head 19 of the machine. The .lower end of the shaft has fixed thereto a conical plunger head 20 having. its bearing in a counter bore at the lower-end of the sleeve. The head 20 is formed on its bottom with a depression or seat 21 against which the cap on the receptacle is adapted to seat and hear when the receptacle is elevated. Thehead 20 is counter-bored to receive an auxiliary plunger 22.

which seats at its upper end against a compression spring 23 in the bore and which normally projects beyond the'bot'tom of the plun er head to engage with the cap. This auxiliary plunger 22 is for the purpose of engaging with the. cap when the cap is stripped from the cap holder and the bottle is elevated, and insures seating of the cap on the receptacle preliminary to seating of the cap against the plunger head, and acts to malntain the receptacle tight on its seat during elevation of the receptacle by the cam track 8. The upper rotary frame 24 carries a circular series of rotary cap-applying mechanisms, each mechanism comprising a sleeve 16 journaled in a bearing 25 on the frame, and each has a pinion 26 which meshes with a stationary ring gear 27 on the stationary head 19 of the machine. The sleeve 16 carries a plurality of rollers 28, preferably three in number, which are adapt" ed to roll the flange or skirt of the cap to secure the cap to the receptacle as the frame 24 rotates; These rollers are journaled axially vertically on the lower. ends of swinging arms 29 which are radially disposed and pivoted at 30 on the sleeve 16. The upper end of each arm 29 above the pivot point engages with a spring 31 interposed between said arm and the sleeve, and each acts normally to swing the lower end of the arm toward the sleeve.

Extending down from the sleeve 16, and preferably forming part of same, are the legs 32 with the threaded apertures 33 formed therein. Secured to the legs 32 by means of screws 34 is the cap guide-plate 35 with the downwardly flaring opening 36 through which the neck of the bottle with the cap thereon travels to seat said cap in the seat 21 of the plunger head 20, as shown in Fig. 1. The guide-plate 35 has the centering lugs 37 which engage the inner faces of the legs 32. The upper face of the guide-plate 35 has the beveled portions 38 WhlCh register with the rollers 28, and said beveled ortions permit of the rollers moving inwar 1y during the rolling of the cap, without interference on the part of said guide-plate, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1.

It will be observed that where the lugs 37 occur in the guide-plate 35, said guide-plate is thicker and these portions occur between the rollers 28. As a consequence there is a greater bearing surface at these points in the flaring opening 36. as indicated in Fig. 2, thereby bringing the guiding faces up closer to the seat 21 of the plunger head 20 and opposite to the skirt .of the cap, at three points, as shown in Fig. 3. This is a point of great advantage, as the closer the uiding faces are to the seat 21, the less liability there will be of any disarrangement of. the

cap before reaching said seat. The idea is to get the guiding faces as close as possible to the plunger head without interfering with the operation of capping.

When in operation the bottle or other receptacle with the cap thereon carried by the support 9 is elevated until the plun er 22 comes in contact with said cap, and y the further elevation of the bottle the plunger is forced upwardly compressing the spring 23 and the cap, passing up through the opening 36 in the guide-plate 35, if canted or tilted from one side to the other comes in contact with the flaring walls of the opening 36 in the guide-plate 35, and its position is corrected so as to be in proper position to enter the seat 21 in the plun er head 20. In view of the fact that the gui e-plate 35 is located up close to the plunger head the position of a tilted cap is corrected just before it enters said seat. When the cap has been seated in the seat 21, the rollers 28 are then brought into position to roll the cap, as indicated in Fig. 1, in the ordinary manner, and it is not deemed-necessary to go into this operation in detail, except to say that the gu1de-plate35, bein secured to the sleeve 16, rotates with said s eeve and the rollers carried b said sleeve.

What claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a sleeve member having rotary movement only, rolls carried thereby, a vertically movable plunger carried b sald sleeve and having a cap seat, a yiel ingly mounted plunger carried by said first plunger, legs on said sleeve disposed intermediate said rolls, and a guide plate secured to said legs beneath said lungers, the said plate having a downwardly flaring opening therein, Whose wall at its upper endterminates in segments disposed between the rolls, and the said yieldingly mounted plunger being normally projected into said flaring opening.

2. Bottle capping apparatus comprising, in combination with crimping means, a vertically movable cap seating plunger, a cap centering device disposed adjacent to the underside of said plunger but spaced therefrom, and a yieldably mounted auxiliary cap engaging plunger carried by said seating plunger and normally Pro ecting into said cap centering device.

3. Bottle capping apparatus comprising, in combination with crimping means, a seat for supporting the cap While being crimped, a cap centering device disposed adjacent to the underside of said seat but spaced therefrom, and a yieldably mounted cap engaging plunger projecting from said seat into said cap centering device.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN SHARP, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN SHARP. 

